Chapter 48

Villain Only Acting 048

Capitalism-Born Directing (1)

The controversy surrounding Jung Se-hoon and Yoo Jeong-a had not been fully resolved.

Due to the explosive news of the affair in the prop storage, which threatened to waste the massive production budget, the issue was pushed to the back burner.

Moreover, since the parties involved were not saying much, the situation was gradually fizzling out.

However, the scandal involving Jung Se-hoon and the staff reignited the controversy over the Jung & Yoo scandal.

―What? So he was two-timing?

―He was hitting on both a former actress staff member and a current actress. This guy is a real player.

―I can't stand it anymore. Let's all rise up with pitchforks.

―I never liked this Jung guy from the start.

―SB, he sure knows how to live up to his looks.

―Damn, it feels like this guy will cause scandals in every project he's in.

―Chae Ji-hyun's fans, you should be careful too. Keep a close eye on him.

The atmosphere began to turn against Jung Se-hoon, suggesting he had been two-timing between the staff and the actress during the filming of Illegel.

Although the flow felt artificial, the excited fandom lost the ability to make sound judgments.

Yoo Jeong-a's fandom started to vilify Jung Se-hoon, while his small but dedicated fanbase was struggling to defend him.

―Are you a Yoo Jeong-a fan? Do you think she's the type to fall for a cocky newcomer?

―The comment above is a must-downvote. Yoo Jeong-a is very assertive.

―Honestly, Jung Se-hoon isn't at the level to hit on Yoo Jeong-a.

―What do you mean? Are you saying Yoo Jeong-a made the first move?

―Of course, she's a top actress and he's a newcomer. Plus, she's older.

―Do you have any proof that Jung Se-hoon is younger? His profile doesn't mention his age.

―Why do we need proof? Just look at his face; he's clearly younger.

Jung Se-hoon's small but elite fanbase skillfully played the multitasking tikitaka game.

Pretending to be Yoo Jeong-a's fans, they subtly attacked her while defending Jung Se-hoon.

They also insinuated that Yoo Jeong-a made the first move, or even that she was the one who inserted herself into the secret relationship between the staff and Jung Se-hoon.

Each member of this small but elite fanbase boasted the firepower of a hundred.

There were those who deliberately fanned the flames.

And those who, blinded by the fire they created, exploded in anger.

There were also those who, knowing someone was fanning the flames, doused themselves in oil to fight back for Jung Se-hoon.

And the onlookers who gathered to watch the fire grow larger just for the fun of it.

The scandal of the cocky newcomer actor Jung Se-hoon two-timing became a mushroom cloud that engulfed the entire entertainment industry.

***

"Director! There's a scandal involving Jung Se-hoon!"

"What? With who? No way!"

Upon first hearing the news of the scandal, Director Hwang In-joon clutched his head.

"Please tell me it's not Chae Ji-hyun? Tell me it's not her!"

"Well, it's not Chae Ji-hyun, but it seems to be a scandal from the filming of Illegel. It's a two-timing scandal, so the situation is really heating up!"

"Two-timing scandal? Ah, this is driving me crazy."

Just when he thought they had overcome the critical moment that almost derailed the film, it was now at risk of sinking back into a quagmire.

For a moment, Hwang In-joon blamed Jung Se-hoon's parents a little.

'If only they had made him a little less handsome and less charming, this wouldn't have happened.'

But then again, if that were the case, he wouldn't have been so captivated by him. Now, however, he had no time for such thoughts.

"Who from the Illegel production team? Could it be Hwang Ra-hee?"

The supporting actress who played a cameo role as Yoo Jeong-a's friend came to mind first.

There weren't many women in Illegel who could have been involved in a scandal.

'Why Yoo Jeong-a and Hwang Ra-hee? Could they have both made a move on him? Se-hoon could have done that.'

"No, it's just a staff member."

"Staff member?"

A bolt of lightning struck Hwang In-joon's mind.

"Photos! Do you have any photos?"

"Yes! Here they are!"

The assistant director showed the photos, and Hwang In-joon's lips began to twitch strangely as he examined them.

"K, kkk, uhh, hahaha!"

"Director? What's wrong?"

The laughter was so sinister, damp, and bizarre that it could have made one think he had gone mad.

A sound that could only come from the vocal cords of a pervert.

"Damn, the heavens are really helping us."

"What? How is the heavens helping us? The two-timing scandal is causing a lot of bad press."

"I'll tell the production company to keep fanning the flames! We can't let it die down! We need to use the entire publicity team and viral marketing to keep this scandal burning!"

"Everyone is saying he was flirting with Yoo Jeong-a while also hitting on the assistant director. Are you saying we should fuel this even more? The Yoo Jeong-a fandom is already trying to bury our movie."

"The assistant director is Se-hoon's older sister."

"Really?"

The assistant director was momentarily confused before being shocked.

"So, this is a sibling scandal? Damn, this is really dirty. Why are the journalists making a sibling scandal out of this...? This is really pissing me off."

"Yeah, I know. But it's good for us. We welcome such scandals."

Hwang In-joon clenched his fists and spoke excitedly.

"They're promoting the movie for us. Damn, how much marketing budget can we save? We can use that money for more shooting."

"The reshoots are almost over. The remaining shooting timeline is already finished, so there's nothing more to add."

"Really, that's a shame. If it had broken a bit earlier, we could have used more of the marketing budget for shooting."

Seeing the director who was still thinking about the movie even in this situation, the assistant director felt that a star director wasn't just anyone.

"Tell the production company's publicity team, but don't mention it to anyone else."

"Got it. I'll tell them to keep the controversy going until the movie's release."

"I'll talk to Se-hoon myself. Where is he now?"

"He's on his way. By the way, he's driving a nice van. Did he get a lot of money from Illegel?"

"No way. He's a newcomer. I think he got around 90 per episode."

"Is that so? Then where did he get the money for such a nice van? It's really impressive."

The assistant director muttered, "Did Yoo Jeong-a buy it for him?"

"If it gets out that Se-hoon is driving a nice van, it might draw more attention. Should we tell the publicity team about this?"

"No, that's too risky. The sibling scandal will end up as a laughing matter, but the van could be a different story. If a wealthy actress really did give it to him, what then?"

"You're right. I was shortsighted."

"Even if we need to draw more attention to our sibling scandal, just let me know. I want this movie to be a box office hit."

"Whether it hits 10 million or not, my next project will definitely have Se-hoon as the lead. Keep that in mind."

"Understood."

"I'll make sure to pay him at least A-grade lead actor rates, even if I can't match S-grade rates. I promise this on my name, Hwang In-joon."

Only then did Hwang In-joon exchange a brief greeting with Kang Byung-chul, who was standing beside him, and admire the Mercedes Sprinter.

"You bought a nice car. The Mercedes van is perfect for celebrities."

"My father bought it for me."

"Really? Your father must be quite capable. This must have cost at least 100 million won."

Kang Byung-chul quickly added, "It's closer to 300 million won, just the car price after taxes."

"Wow, Se-hoon's father is really capable."

After inspecting the van, everyone moved to prepare for the shoot.

***

The true identity of Il Sung Art Museum was a personal slush fund for the owner's family.

The artworks, whose numbers and values were not properly accounted for, were themselves a form of slush fund, and other items like bearer bonds, gold bars, and overseas bank accounts and withdrawal cards hidden in tax havens were also secretly stored there.

In the original script, the chairman of Il Sung Group did not appear. He was only mentioned occasionally.

However, with the special appearance of Lee Min-soo, the chairman of Il Sung Group finally took on a tangible form.

Lee Min-soo appears only twice.

Once through his voice, and once in person.

And the scene where he appears in person is the encounter with Kim Chan, the leader of the operation.

"Is this a scene that wasn't in the original version?"

"Yes. It's a new scene created by the director for Se-hoon's Kim Chan."

"I read the script, and it's a completely different scene from the one with Yoon Mo. But I think Se-hoon will nail it."

"It's a great reunion between Min-soo and Se-hoon from Illegel, but it's a shame it's being overshadowed by the scandal..."

The staff, unaware of the truth behind the sibling scandal, were worried, but the atmosphere among the director and actors was very bright.

"Ready, action!"

Scene #125.

Kim Chan, who had planned to rob the art museum storing ultra-high-value artworks to reverse his life, realizes that the operation, though difficult and risky, has gone terribly wrong.

―Brother, didn't we bite off more than we can chew?

―Ha, I knew Kim Su-jin was bold, but I didn't expect her to be this fearless. Did she plan to take all of this for herself?

In addition to the artworks whose value couldn't be determined, there were bearer deposit certificates, gold bars, and overseas bank accounts and withdrawal cards hidden in tax havens.

―This is the personal hidden wealth of the Il Sung Group's owner family. We're all going to die!

―Well, what if we just run overseas?

―Are you crazy? They'll hunt us down even in the Amazon jungle.

Realizing they had taken a bite of something they couldn't possibly swallow or digest, Kim Chan decided to make one last gamble.

Kim Chan decided to meet the chairman of Il Sung Group directly and ventured into the lion's den.

Amid the intense gazes of the burly security guards, the Il Sung chairman, with his expressionless eyes, finally spoke.

―You might not make it out alive.

―I contacted you because I want to live, Chairman.

―Go on. Make your excuse.

―I don't have big ambitions. I just want enough to live off for generations. But what we found was the Il Sung Group's slush fund.

―I don't feel your desire to live.

―If I had known from the start, I wouldn't have done it.

The chairman finally showed a faint, contemptuous smile.

―Hand it over quietly. I'll give you 100 billion and bury it.

―I'm sorry, Chairman, but I can't do that.

―Do you not want to live?

―I came here prepared to die. I need to secure my fee. If I don't make it out alive, all of your emergency funds will go up in ashes.

―...

―I'll take just 5% as my fee. It's not much. I'm offering to clean up your worries neatly with just 5%. With all the divorce lawsuits and succession issues, wouldn't it be better to resolve this quickly?

While pretending to be humble, Kim Chan maintained his confidence and pushed forward.

―If you give us 5%, my men and I will never appear before you again. Think of it as an investment, Chairman.

―What if I refuse the investment?

―Then I'll die here. I won't lack for money in the afterlife. I could even play emperor, hahaha!

A short silence, but the longest and most anxious all-in moment in Kim Chan's life.

―Alright. Proceed.